Picturing War Before It Went Digital

In September 1914, the New York Times published a “Mid-Week Pictorial War Extra” as a Wednesday photographic supplement. It continued after the end of World War I and became known simply as the Mid-Week Pictorial. Although considered separate (subscriptions were offered) from its larger counterpart, the Mid-Week Pictorial was famous and popular for the selection, quality and size of the images. However, time marched (in fact, Time/Life to be exact) on and the competition from LIFE magazine resulting in ending the run in 1937.

The pages here from a 1915 edition, printed on sturdy paper stock and printed in rotograveur, show how war and warfare was covered before Instagram, but in as novel a way as citizen “journalism” is today.

About Steven Heller

Steven Heller is the co-chair of the SVA MFA Designer /Designer as Author + Entrepreneur program, writes a weekly column for The Atlantic online and is the "Visuals" Columnist for the New York Times Book Review. He is also the author of over 160 books on design and visual culture. And he is the 2011 recipient of the Smithsonian National Design Award.